Welcome to my first blog post . . . I hope to share a bit about my passion for fiber art and folk art painting with anyone who might be interested. I have been a passionate American artist for many years. I started painting in 1984, and was always been drawn to early styles in folk art. Rufus Porter is one of my favorite American itinerant artists. Simplicity in a naive primitive style is what I most enjoy creating. I have been an antiques dealer and collector for many years as well, and have always loved things made by hand -- those that filled a need for a particular family or individual. One-of-a-kind things intrigue me -- many are made out of necessity; the originality and ingenuity of the maker is built in and sometimes defy our understanding for why a thing was made. Once you figure it out, it's often amazing to see how that need was filled using simple techniques, tools, and materials -- those things that were at hand.

That is where my addiction to handmade hooked rugs came from -- the antique hooked rugs are simply made with materials (cast off clothing and blankets mostly) their makers had at hand. Make-do -- that's what our ancestors had to do. You had a cold dirt or wooden floor and little heat for the winter -- you made a rug to adorn your home and provide some warmth under foot. As prices of antique hooked rugs rose over the last 20 years, so did my desire to learn to make them. I began about 4 years ago with the help of an online friend in New Hampshire, Toni Syrmopoulos (see her great folk art by clicking the link to Foolhardy Folk Art). She talked me through it, emailed me encouragement, and even sent me my first hook! Once I "got it," I could not be stopped. I began hunting for bargain wool at my local thrift stores, my attic, and the closets of relatives. I was utterly and totally "hooked" on this fiber art. Therefore, I put my paintbrushes aside for a while and got on with the business of perfecting my new craft. Before long, people were asking for my designs and patterns. I began offering rug hooking kits, patterns, and supplies from my web site where I had previously only sold antiques and my finished folk art paintings.

About two years ago, I was introduced to yet another fiber art that struck my fancy -- miniature punch needle embroidery. When I used wool threads, I found that these tiny works resemble little hooked rugs. This art form is much more portable and quicker to complete. That satisfied my need for quick gratification and another fiber art was added to my arsenal. Not bad enough that I had wool all over the place, but now I have racks and racks of threads, too. Fiber artists will say you have to have your "stash" (wool, threads, fabric, etc.) -- I call it a Resource Center -- a much more palatable term for husbands and children! It's a serious thing that must not be taken lightly! "Don't touch  the stuff in Mom's Resource Center" -- "Honey, I know you have to invest in your Resource Center." See? You just have to know how to handle this obsession. How can I be expected to pass up a good deal on wool yardage or the perfect color of thread? It's just not possible.